Grimsby lands British Fish Craft Championships

North East Lincolnshire Council is delighted to confirm that the British Fish Craft Championships will be hosted in Grimsby for the first time in its history in 2014 and again in 2015.

The competition brings together Britain’s best fishmongers – from independent shops to supermarket chains - to test their skills, speed and accuracy as they compete to win the title of British Fish Craft Champion.
It’s organised by the National Federation of Fishmongers and has been running for more than 60 years.
The event will also give the opportunity for Grimsby to showcase its thriving seafood industry and proud fishing heritage.
Open to anyone involved in the fish, poultry or game trade, the competitions test the skills that are necessary in the preparation of fish and poultry in readiness for use by the final consumer. Those skills normally provided free of charge by fishmongers when selling fish to the general public.
The judges are all experienced fishmongers and the competitors will be judged on presentation, general appearance, hygiene and performance.
Fish from the competitions will be on sale to the public either to take home and prepare or cooked on the premises for a tasty lunch on the day.
North East Lincolnshire Council is sponsoring the championships along with a wide range of major retailers and companies from the fish industry.

Cllr Chris Shaw, council leader, said: “It’s fitting that we’ve landed this supreme catch for the borough for the next two years and hopefully more.
“With more than 70 per cent of seafood consumed in the UK processed here, North East Lincolnshire is the perfect setting for the prestigious championships and I’d like to thank the National Federation of Fishmongers for choosing Grimsby to host the competition.
“It’s another major seafood event lined up for the town as we also look forward to hosting the Humber Seafood Summit in September and the World Seafood Congress in 2015.
“The championships give independent fishmongers, processors, supermarkets and wholesalers the chance to showcase their talents and I’m very much looking forward to tucking into some of the delights they’ll be serving up.”

Gary Hooper, immediate past president of the National Federation of Fishmongers, said: “The National Federation Fishmonger's are delighted to have been invited to hold The British Fish Craft Championships in Grimsby for the next two years.
“This will first time this prestigious event has taken place in what is viewed by many as the home of British fish and we are looking forward to a warm welcome, we are also really excited to be working alongside North East Lincolnshire Council who will be sponsoring the event for the first time.”

Jason Longhurst, head of development services at NELC, added: “North East Lincolnshire is home to one of the largest concentrations of food manufacturing, research, storage and distribution in Europe. It’s a priority sector for us and crucial to the national economy.
“Bringing the competition to Grimsby is a prime example of the council promoting the local seafood sector to a much wider audience. This is an especially timely announcement for me as it’s my final project before I step down from the Humber Seafood Institute Board and leave North East Lincolnshire Council.”